Narrow-fabric loom.



No. 64!,605. Patented Jan. l6, I900. E. OLDFIELD.

NARROW FABRIC LOOM.

(Application filed m 9,-1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES my! run Mb/h A TTURNEY.

"m: NORRIS wmns ca. woraumq. WASHINGTON, n c.

NITED STATES PATENT FFIC.

NARROW-FABRIC LOOIVI.

SFEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,605, dated January 16 1900.

Application filed May 9, 1898. Serial No. 680,186. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN OLDFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Narrow-Fabric Looms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is in narrow-fabric looms of the class commonly used in the weaving of silk ribbons and the like goods; and it has for its object the improvement of certain details of construction of such machinery to the end that a freely-running loom may be produced and that the operative shall be able to more readily and accurately control the same,which improved features make possible the production of goods of superior quality and do away with many annoyances usually present in the operation of this class of machinery.

More specifically the improvements just mentioned relate to the mechanism in the batten whereby the driving of the shuttles is effected, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

To assist in explaining my improvements, the accompanying drawings have been provided, illustrating the same as follows: Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of the end frame of a loom, showing in proper relation thereto those elements of the loom mechanism immediately related to my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on a somewhat en larged scale, of the batten, said View being partly broken away to expose certain interior mechanism in said batten. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the reverse side of the batten. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line a: at of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows in elevation and section a certain detail of construction of the shuttle-driving mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the referencenumber denotes one of the end frames of a loom, and 11 the breast-beam.

Reference-number 12 denotes a pair of tie rods located beneath the beam 11 and connecting said end frames, said rods being parallel to the breast-beam and to each other. A similar tie-rod 13 is located in the lower portion of frames 10.

Thebatten of the loom is denoted by reference-number 14:. The said batten extends parallel to the length of the loom and is secured near each end to the lower end of an arm 14:, one of which arms is located adjacent to each frame 10 and hung from a point in the upper portion thereof. This manner of supporting the batten 14 allows it to swing from its point of support, and during such swinging shuttles 15 mounted thereon are caused to travel reciprocally in Ways mounted on the batten. The shuttles 15 carry the filling through the warp, and by means of ordinary reeds, also carried on said batten, the packing of the filling is effected. This process being Well understood by those conversant with this class of machinery no more detailed description thereof is deemed necessary, nor is description required of the mechanism for swinging the batten, as these features form no part of my invention.

The shuttles 15, adapted to travel reciprocally on batten 14, are supported on said batten in substantially the usual manner. This support is effected by means of H-shaped frames 16, secured at stated distances apart to the back side of batten 14, and each of said frames serves to support a pair of rectangular blocks 17 18, k'rsown as track sections or ways,which have formed on their confronting faces ribs or tracks 17 18. These track-sections are in vertical alinement with each other,and the track-section 18 is located above section 17 sufficiently to permit the ribs or tracks 17 18 to engage, respectively, grooves 15 15 in the opposite faces of the shuttle 15. The ribs or tracks 17' 18, engaging shuttle 15, as just described, serve to so support the latter that it may be freely moved longitudinally in its supports.

Track-sections 17 are recessed near each end, as at 19, to receive a pinion-gear 20, sup ported on an axial pin 21, crossing said recess. Gears 20 are adapted to engage a small rack 15", located in shuttles 15, and when rotated serve (through the rack) to drive said shut tles. The gears 20 are in turn driven by a rack 22, lying in a raceway 1 1, provided in the upper face of batten 14 and extending parallel therewith. Rack 22 is of sufficient length to engage and drive each and all of the several pinions 2O simultaneously, and when said rack is driven reciprocally by suitable mechanism the revolving of the pinions 20 effects the drivingof all the shuttles 15 simultaneousl y.

The extent of movement imparted to each shuttle is such that it is caused to travel rcciproeally from one pair of track-sections 17 18 to the adjacent pair of such sections, as will be understood by reference to 2. To permit such action of the shuttles, the open space between each pair of track-sections 17 18 is of less width than the length of the shuttle, so that before the rack 15 of the shuttles is driven out of engagement with the pinion 20 of one track-section 17 it will have engaged with one of the pinions 20 of the ad jacent track-section 17. In traveling from one pair of track-sections 17 18 to an adjacent pair, as just described, the shuttle 15 passes through the warp a, which latter lies in the open space between said pairs of traclcsections, and during such travel interweaves the filling-thread with the warp.

To reduce to the minimum the friction incident to the driving of shuttles 15, I have provided ball-bearing mechanism, which I will proceed to describe.

"Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the pin 21, above referred to as providing an axial support for the piniongear 20, does not engage directly the said gear, but engages a disk 20, adapted to be mounted thereon and of slightly-greater thickness than said gear, which latter is formed with a central circular opening 20 large enough to receive the disk, and has cut in the circumferential wall of said central opening a groove 20. The disk 20' is' also formed with a circumferential groove. Interposed between the grooves of the disk and gear is a ring of balls 23. To accomplish the insertion of said balls 23, the pinion-gear 20 is provided with a notch 20, cutting into opening 20 nearly to the center of the groove 20 of said pinion. The pinion 20 I preferablyconstruct of some slightly-flexible material, as rawhide or the like, and by slightly springing the same or by forcing the balls 23 through notch 20 said balls may be placed in the position above mentioned. \Vhen thus in place, balls 23, while being free to travel in their circular race, are unable to leave the same without springing the gear or forcing the balls through notch 20. The disk 20 equals in thickness approximately the width of the recess 19 and is inserted in said recess as a complete structure, being held in place therein by the insertion of the axial pin 21. The pinion 20, being of somewhat less thickness than disk 20, cannot come in contact with the walls of said recess 19, but may revolve freely upon its supporting-ring of balls 23 with no appreciable frictional resistance.

Describing still further the ball-bearing shuttle-driving mechanism, I will proceed to explain that portion of said mechanism related to the rack 22, calling particular attention to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 7 of the drawings. Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that said rack 22 does not travel directly on the bottom of raceway 14, but rests at intervals on rollers 24, which latter are mounted on ball-bearings to insure their free revolution. To receive rollers 24, the batten 14 is recessed from its back side, providing circular recesses 14, cutting into the raceway 14. The rollers 24 have formed upon one end a pinion-gear 24, which latter engages narrow inverted supplemental rackteeth 22 on the lower side of the rack 22. It will thus be seen that the rolls 24 are notrevolved simply by frictional contact with the rack 22. Said rolls are, as stated, formed with teeth that mesh with the supplemental rackteeth 22, and are thus caused to revolve in unison with the reciprocating movement of the rack. This construction prevents all possibility of flat spots being formed upon the rolls, as might result if the rolls become stuck and fail to rotate.

Roller 24 has as its axial support a pin 25, which latter is supported horizontally and centrally in recess 14 by means of a frame 26, shaped as an inverted letter U, and seoured to the rear side of the batten 14 by screws 26, that extend through vertical slots 26 in said frame 26.

The roller 24 is mounted on pin 25 in substantially the same manner that pinion 20 is mounted on the pin 21; but as said hub is of somewhat greater width I preferably provide a double system of raceways and balls 23. These raceways (denoted by reference-number 24) are provided in the wall of the circular opening of the roller 24 and in a tubular piece 24, mounted on pin 25, corresponding to disk 20, and like the latter said tubular piece 24 is of slightly-greater width than the width of the roller 24, that is adapted to revolve around it.

The balls 23 are inserted in their raceways through notches provided in the opposite ends of roller 24, such notches corresponding to the notch 20 of the pinion 20; but to avoid complication such notches are not shown in the drawings.

The roller 24 and the tubular piece 24, with the balls 23 inserted between them, form a device complete in itself and adapted to be mounted on pin 25, as above stated. When mounting said device upon the pin 25, a washer 27 is preferably also mounted thereon at each end of the tubular piece 24, and that end of pin 25 that engages frame 26 passes through a boss 26, formed on said frame, and by means of a nut 25", located on the threaded end 25 of the pin, the several elements mounted thereon may be clamped between said boss 26 and the head of pin 25. If desired, a disk 28 may be mounted on boss 26 to close the otherwise open end of the recess 14.

In securing the last-described device in position the several frames 26 are so located at the back of the batten 14 as to cause their respective rollers to raise the rack 22 out of engagement with the bottom of the race 14. As the teeth of the rack or those of the engaging pinion-gear become worn the gear may be readily adjusted to carry its teeth into close mesh with the rack-teeth by partially unscrewing the screws 26 then sliding the frame-26 upward,and finallysetting the screws 26 home again. When the desired adjustment .is thus attained, the bar 28 may, if desired, be so located as to engage the extremities of the frame 26, forming a stop or gage to permit the frame to be removed and re placed in the same position without again requiring special adjustment.

The described manner of supporting the rollers 24 permits the free revolution thereof as the rack 22 is moved reciprocally thereon and positively prevents appreciable friction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- In combination with the batten of the loom, a reciprocating rack mounted upon the rolls 24, said rolls being supported axially on studs, the frames 26 through which the studs extend at right angles, and which are adjustablysecured to said batten and stops 28 coacting with said frames, substantially as specified. 3o

Signed at Norwich, Connecticut, this 23d day of April, 1898.

EDWIN OLDFIELD. Witnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALoNZo M. LUTHER. 

